The Corners – Sun & Rain

The Corners, formed in 2007 by Andy Rhea and Foday Mashburn, is an indie rock/folk band from Hannibal, Missouri. Although their sound is in some ways similar to that of Mumford and Sons and Young the Giant, there is something original about The Corners that sets them apart.

Two things actually: The fantastic way the songs are written; like stories so vivid that you can capture images in your mind just by listening, and of course, Rhea’s hypnotizing voice.

The band started touring in the spring of 2010, going from Texas to Florida, to Washington and even to Europe. The Corners have performed at local venues as well as music festivals.

On May 5, 2010, they released their second album entitled Sun & Rain. Within 48 hours the album, with its six original tracks, reached an impressive #2 in Amazon’s ‘Hot New Releases’ for the singer/songwriter category.

The album captures so many different moods and emotions all at once. Solemn, soulful and exciting, just put together so well. Each song takes you further and further into The Corners’ minds and hearts.

The album kicks off with a song called “Skin and Bones” that might just melt your heart with its sweetly mesmerizing instrumental intro and inspiring lyrics. I think it’s probably the best song in the album. It later transitions into a more upbeat and country-sounding song called “Chase You” which is a particularly interesting song that references some characters from the Bible, but still manages to be catchy and definitely makes it to my personal favorite list. The mood and tempo shifts again as the album comes to an end with the last song, entitled “Poet and Painter” which is a beautifully passionate piece that plays on the heartstrings of anybody who has ever aspired to be a writer or an artist, a love story between an artist and his paintbrush, or a writer and his pen. It is a song that aims to inspire, in my opinion.

All in all, Sun & Rain is a wonderful, intricately written and put together album that any indie fan should take time to listen to. A bit of a warning though; don’t expect to only listen to the album once because I assure you, you’ll have to listen to it at least four or five times before you get fully tired of it. It definitely contains the kinds of songs that are bound to get stuck in your head, so don’t be surprised when you catch yourself humming any one of these catchy beats.